Zayu County Festivals and Activities

Zayü County celebrates many common festivals that are observed in Nyingchi area and other Tibetan Prefectures. Here, we list some amazing and brilliant festivals and activities in Zayü County. Wish you have a great fun in Zayü County.

Dengren Folk Culture Festival（僜人民俗文化节）: There will be some artistic performances, interflow of commodities and folk custom displaying in this festival which is held in August of Tibetan Calendar.

Shae Festival（沙俄节）: There will be some artistic performances, commodities exchange and folk custom displaying in this festival which is held in September of Tibetan Calendar

Gongbu Festival

Gongbu Festival（贡布节） is celebrated every October first in Tibetan Calendar in many places of Nyingchi Prefecture. During this festival, Tibetan people will observe some brilliant activities such as casting out the devils, inviting their dogs to eat the new year dinner, enjoying special Tibetan food Jieda（结达）, carrying water home from the river and enshrine the goddess of the harvest, etc.

Saga Dawa Festival

Saga means “the fourth” and Dawa refers to “month” in Tibetan. This festival is celebrated for whole month and is one of the most significant festivals celebrated in Tibet. But the fifteenth day of the month is very special as Sakyamuni was born, attained Nirvana (enlightenment), stepped into Parinirvana (death). Tibetans believe that it would accumulate immense of merits during that particular day by giving generosity, stopping killing animals and eating meats, etc. Monks chanting in monasteries, cham dancing and other religious activities dominate the occasion. The festival is called “Qiong ren Jie” in Chinese which means poor people’s day because Tibetan peoples’ generosity to the poor people is well known.

What to See in Saga Dawa Festival

- Hundreds of Tibetan people circumambulating around the Barkhor, Tsekhor(Circuit around Potala) and Lingkhor.
- Liberation of fishes in Lhasa river(Kyichu) and other animals according to their budgets.
- Monks reciting prayer in Assembly hall in monasteries and serving butter tea during intermission.
- Hundreds of Tibetan people lined up in Drepung kitchen for making their donation for the monks during chanting prayers in assembly hall.
- Tibetan people will never eat meats during 15th day of the Saga Dawa and you can see every Tibetans eating vegetables in restaurant after finishing their circumambulation.
- Tibetan peoples busy with visiting various monasteries.
- Tibetan peoples’ generosity to the poor people by giving them material help.
- After finished visiting monasteries, Tibetans will go for picnics in different picnic centres in Lhasa.
- Even in picnics, older Tibetans mumbling mantras by rosary in left hand and small prayer wheel in their right hand.

Chawalong Horse Racing Festival in Zayu County, Chamdo

在藏东康南察隅县察瓦龙地区，每年除了藏历一月的新年外，最为热闹的当属藏历二月十五的“尼巴觉安”节日了。“尼巴觉安”节日上，几乎察瓦龙44个自然村的人都会来到今乡政府所在地的擦·江贝塘，在大概为期一周左右的时间内，人们先后进行转山、跳舞、赛马、藏式传统体育项目等活动。近年来，察瓦龙的“尼巴觉安”影响力越来越大，不光是察瓦龙当地人热情参与，还迎来了附近左贡、德钦、贡山等地的同袍前来参与、观看。另外，如今人们对古老的赛马活动投入了极大的热情，赛马成为“尼巴觉安”的重头戏。于是，不明历史的一些人开始称之为“察瓦龙赛马节”，察瓦龙当地年轻人貌似也要赶个时髦，也向人介绍察瓦龙的“赛马节”。大概从上世纪九十年代以后，察瓦龙的“尼巴觉安”节日开始快速变化发展了，人们特别热衷于“尼巴觉安”的赛马活动，并投入大量的精力财力在买马、养马、赛马上。其实ཐ融进那样一种“全民探马”的环境氛围里，几乎每个成年男子都想要一匹好马，以便在赛马当天崭露头角，出人头地，给自己争脸，给村庄争光。荣誉这种东西在任何一个社会和团体里，似乎有一种奇特的魔力在吸引着人们。荣誉的存在形式有多种多样，是相对存在的，其意义也是相对的。它存在于一个特定的环境里，是一群特定的人们在给它定义，并给予承认、鼓励和嘉奖。荣誉激发了人们的竞争意识，在此背景下，诞生了像龙普村的阿刚那样一辈子以养马、赛马为业的人物，阿刚是擦瓦绒人对赛马热情的经典人物，他特别热衷于买马、养马、赛马。由于他本人的精心照料加上一些运气，他家的马在整个察瓦龙地区赛马活动中拿过很多冠军，察瓦龙人几乎都听说过阿刚这个人物。总之，如今察瓦龙的“尼巴觉安”节日，俨然被赛马活动给抢戏了，赛马热情飞上天了。甭说男子们好赛马，甚至女子们也整天地谈马，她们已经撑起了察瓦龙赛马活动的半边天啦！伴随着察瓦龙“尼巴觉安”节日的壮大和赛马活动的热闹，一些外地人开始称“尼巴觉安”为“察瓦龙赛马节”，当地一些年轻人也开始这么称呼。近年来，人们在“尼巴觉安”节日上增加了一些藏族传统竞技体育活动，比如举石头、推扔石头、赛跑等项目，加上传统的弦子舞极大地丰富了节日的内容和看点。也吸引了周边地区如昌都左贡、云南德钦和贡山的同胞前来观看和参与，其中左贡县碧土乡的马在 2013年的“尼巴觉安”赛马活动中获得了名次。察瓦龙“尼巴觉安”，加强了周边地区间的民间文化交流，增进了区域内部人们之间的友谊，激发了察瓦龙人们积极向上、追求美好生活的勇气和自信，更传扬了察瓦龙人“茶马古道马帮汉子”的千古遗风。弦舞悠悠，“古道神韵”犹存，铸就了艰苦奋斗、阳光向上的察瓦龙精神。...

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